Slovakia cuts Russia’s embassy staff by 35 -foreign ministry

PRAGUE (Reuters) -Slovakia has ordered Russia’s embassy to cut its staff by 35, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday, citing unacceptable activity by another Russian diplomat.

The aim of the move was to “set a maximum number of diplomatic and service passport holders at this (Russian) mission,” spokesperson Juraj Tomaga said in a statement.

The move cuts the embassy staff roughly to a half of its previous size, according to calculations in Slovak media.

On March 14, Slovakia expelled three Russian embassy staff based on secret service information.

“The step is an inevitable reaction to Russia’s embassy personnel continuing with activities running contrary to the Vienna convention on diplomatic relations, Slovakia’s interests, and partnership with Russian Federation,” Tomaga said.

The Russian embassy in Bratislava was not immediately available to comment.

Several other European Union countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands and Ireland, expelled dozens of Russian diplomats on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Robert Muller; Editing by Catherine Evans)